E312 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 





DDDD33575t.T 
















V 







aen'l 




WASHINGTON, 



THE 



)\mei^ican ^oldiei^. 



PUBLISHED BY THE 

Military Post Library Association 
JV*o. 58 Broadway, 

NEW-YORK. 





WASHINGTON: 

THE SOLDIER 



AND 

THE CHRISTIAN. 



Dedicated to the Officers and Soldiers of the 
United States Army, 



By MERLE VEKlVON". 



(Cot)yright Secured.) 



PUBLISHED BY THE 

Military Post Library Association, 

No. 53 Broadway, New York. 




TABLE OF EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF WASH- 
INGTON. 



TEAR. 

1732. Feb. 22. 

1743. April 12. 
1746. 

174S. 
1751. 

1752. 

1753. Oct. 31. 

1754. 

1755. July 9. 
1755. Aug. 14. 

1758. Dec. 

1759. Jan. 6. 



1770. 
1774. 
1775. May 10. 

1775. June 15. 

1775. July 3. 

1776. March 17. 



AGE. 

Born in Westmoreland Co., Vir- 
ginia 

Death of his father, aged 49 10 

Appointed Midshipman in Eng- 
lish Navy. Did not go 14 

Surveyor — on the Potomac. ... 16 
Military Inspector — with rank 

of Major 19 

Adjutant-General 20 

Commissioner to the French on 

the Ohio 21 

Lieut. -Col. for defense of Vir- 
ginia 22 

Aid-de-Camp to Gen. Braddock. 23 
Commander-in-Chief of Virginia 

forces 23 

Resigned his commission 26 

His marriage 26 

Member of the House of Bur- 
gesses, Va 26 

Tour to the Ohio and Great Kena- 

wha Rivers 38 

Member of First Continental Con- 
gress 42 

Member of Second Continental 

Congress 43 

Commander-in-Chief. 43 

Commander of army at Cam- 
bridge 43 

Boston evacuated by the British. 44 



TABLE OF EVB:NTS. 



rEAR. ASE. 

1776. July 4. Declaration of Independence 44 

1776. Aug. 27. Battle of Long Island 44 

1776. Dec. 26. Battle of Trenton 44 

1776. Dec. 27. Invested by Congress with full 

powers 44 

1777. Jan. 3. Battle of Princeton 44 

1777. Sept. 11. Battle of Brandy wine 45 

1777. Oct. 4. Battle of Germantown 45 

1778. June 28. Battle of Monmouth 46 

1779. July 16. Stony Point taken 47 

1780. Arnold's treason 48 

1781. Oct. 19. Surrender of Yorktown 49 

1783. April 19. Peace proclaimed to the army. . . 51 

1783. Nor. 2. His farewell to the army 51 

1783. Nov. 25. British evacuate New York 51 

1783. Dec. 23. Resigns his commission 51 

1787. May 14. President of Convention to form 

a Constitution 55 

1789. March 4. President of the United States.. 57 

1789. April 30. Inauguration at New York 57 

1789. Aug. 25. Death of his mother, aged 82. . . 57 

1793. March 4. President for a second term 61 

1796. Sept. 17. Farewell Addrtass to the people of 

the United States 64 

1797. Retires to private life 65 

1798. July 3. Commander-in-Chief, U. S. ar- 

mies 66 

1799. Dec. U. Death at Mount Vernon 67 



GEORGE WASHINGTON. 



HIS BOYHOOD. 

We have been so much in the habit of 
regarding our first President, and the great 
leader of our armies, in these two relations, 
that we almost forget that he was a man ; 
once a young man, and, like others, imper- 
fect, full of mistakes and weaknesses ; and 
that he was through his whole life exposed 
to more than the ordinary share of trials 
and difficulties, scarcely atoned for by the 
fame which he earned. 

That he was once a boy we know, if we 
may credit the story, often enough repeated 
to be true, of his venturing the displeasure 
of his father and owning the truth, after his 
new hatchet had ruined a precious cherry- 
tree. 

We have a record, too, of fifty-seven 
" Rules of Behavior," from a manuscript 



6 GEORGE WASHINGTON. 

book, written by Washington at the age 
of thirteen. Some extracts will suffice, to 
show the character of the boy : — 

"1. Every action in company ought to 
be with some sign of respect to those pres- 
ent. 

" 5. Show not yourself glad at the mis- 
fortune of another, even though he were 
your enemy. 

"7, When you meet with one of greater 
quality than yourself, stop and retire; es- 
peciiilly if it be at a door, or any strait 
place, to give way to him to pass. 

" 9. Let your discourse with men of busi- 
ness be short and comprehensive. 

'' 11. Undertake not to teach your equal 
in the art he himself professes; it savors of 
arrogancy. 

" 13. Being to advise or reprehend any- 
one, consider whether it ought to 'be in pub- 
lic or in private, presently or at some other 
time, in what terms to do it; and in reprov- 
ing, show no signs of anger, but do it with 
sweetness and mildness. 

"14. Wherein you reprove another, be 
unblamable yourself; for example is more 
prevalent than precepts. 



HIS BOYHOOD. 7 

" 15. Use no reproachful language against 
anyone, neither curse, nor revile. 

" 26. Associate yourselves with men of 
good quality, if you esteem your own repu- 
tation, for it is better to be alone, than in bad 
company J^ Let "men as well as boys, mark 
that. 

" 27. Let your conversation be without 
malice or envy, for it is a sign of a tractable 
, and commendable nature ; and in all causes 
jof passion, admit reason to govern. 

" 32. Speak not injurious words, neither 
in jest nor earnest. Scoff at none, although 
they give occasion. 

" 46. Undertake not what you can not 
perform, but be careful to keep your prom- 
ise. 

" 5L Speak not evil of the absent, for it 
is unjust. 

" 55. When you speak of God or of his 
attributes, let it be seriously, in reverence. 
Honor and obey your natural parents, al- 
though they be poor. 

" 56. Let your recreations be manful, not 
sinful. 

" 57. Labor to keep alive in your breast 
that little spark of celestial fire, called con- 
science." 



8 GEORGE WASHINGTON. 

From rules like these written out and 
adopted by a boy of thirteen, we should 
know what to expect in his mature life. 

But it is chiefly with Washington as a 
man and a soldier that we have to do. It 
would be vain to attempt within these limits 
to give any thing like a sketch of his life. 
A mere dry narration of events would fill 
our pages. We have therefore prefixed a 
table with the dates of the principal events 
of his life, for chronological purposes, and 
shall feel at liberty to depart from the order 
of time, in the record of his achievements 
and his character. 

Washington received no military educa- 
tion. Early in life he wished to enter the 
navy, and his preparations being all made, 
he was ready to embark on board the ves- 
sel, then lying in the stream ; but he yielded 
to the wishes of his widowed mother, who 
placed her chief reliance upon him, and 
shrank from letting him go. But for this 
honor done his mother, he had never been 
the soldier he was, and we had never 
known our Washington. 

He received, as we have said, no military 
educafion. Such teaching as the schools 



HIS BOYHOOD. 9 

and academies afforded he had, and his 
education was thorough so far as it went; 
yet, save a slight acquaintance with French, 
he knew no lano:uao;e but his own. In 
matliematics he was better skilled ; and he 
acquired a thorough knowledge of survey 
ing, to which profession he devoted him- 
self. Our first important notice of him is 
in the record of his surveying expeditions 
in his native State, during which he be- 
came inured to hardships and privations : 
exposed "to all vicissitudes of weather, and 
camping out, when he found no house to 
receive him. 

Washington was six feet high, of power- 
ful and robust frame, accustomed to the 
hardy exercises of country life, inured to 
hardships, and fond of his profession. He 
had habits, early formed, of extreme accu- 
racy in his writing and in all his accounts. 
*' Nothing was left half done, or done in a 
hurried and slovenly manner. He had ac- 
quired the magic of method, which of itself 
works wonders." From first to last it was 
the same. His early school exercises in 
surveying, were finished with as much neat- 
ness and exactness as if the whole related 
to important land transactions. When, later 



10 GEORGE WASHINGTON. 

in life, he attended to the care of his owu 
plantation, " he kept his own accounts, post- 
ed up his books, and balanced them with 
mercantile exactness." 

When he accepted his commission as 
Commander-in-Chief, he declined receiving 
any compensation for his services, stipu- 
lating only for the payment of his actual 
expenses, and at the close of his military 
life he drew up an accurate account of all 
his expenditures. This statement, occupy- 
ing more than sixty folio pages, is, with its 
vouchers, still preserved in the Treasury 
Department, a monument of the scrupulous 
fidelity with which Washington discharged 
his duties as a servant of his country. 

It would seem that the training of a sur- 
veyor and engineer was peculiarly calcu- 
lated to fit a man for military service : in- 
volving the command of others, if but of 
few, out-of-door life, exposure, labor, and fa- 
tigue ; requiring accuracy, readiness, quick- 
ness, and a fertility in expedients in any 
emergency. There were in those days no 
military schools in this country, and Wash- 
ington had the best preparation which could 
b« atforded. 



EARLY PUBLIC LIFE. 11 



EARLY PUBLIC LIFE. 



His first expedition, at the age of twentj- 
one, was to confer with the commander of 
the French forces in the region of the Ohio 
River, with regard to their encroachments 
on grounds claimed by the English. At 
this time the pertinent inquiry had been 
made by two of the old chiefs, " where the 
land of the Indians lay ; for the French 
claimed all the lands on one side of the 
Ohio River, and the English all on the 
other." Washington set otf from Williams- 
burg on the 30th of October, 1753, the very 
day on which he received his credentials. 
His mission, which was one of much delicacy 
and danger, was satisfactorily performed. 
Their Indian guides proved faithless, on 
the return through the pathless wilderness ; 
and their party being reduced to two, Wash- 
ington and his companion ci'ossed the Al- 
leghany River on a raft which they made, 
cutting down and preparing the trees with 
one poor hatchet ; and their raft being up- 
set by the ice, they were thrown into the 
water, and nearly perished with cold. It 
was only by his indomitable energy that he 
escaped and made his way home. 



12 GEORGE WASHINGTON. 

Some precautions being found necessary 
against the Frencli, Washington was ap- 
pointed (with the rank of Major) to the 
command of two companies, of one hundred 
men each. He served during the whole 
French War, and retired at its close, having 
then attained the rank of Colonel. 

During fifteen years, until the Revolution, 
he was a member of the House of Bur- 
gesses of Virginia ; a punctual and faith- 
ful member, carrying out the maxim of his 
life, as given in his own words, " to execute 
faithfully and thoroughly every charge which 
he undertook." 

It had been told of him, that he said he 
"knew no music equal to the whistling of 
bullets." When one of his friends inquired 
whether he ever said this, his answer was, 
" If I ever said so, it must have been when 
I was a very young man." 

He preferred a quiet life, the peace and 
independence found on his own plantation : 
engaging in rural pursuits and rural sports, 
quietly fulfilling his duties, and finding his 
highest happiness in their performance ; 
while he only came forth at the call of his 
country, and then most reluctantly, as to a 
higher duty. 



COMMANDER-iN-CHIEF. IS 

His peaceful life continued till 1775, 
when the exactions and severities of tht-: 
English Government left the people no al- 
ternative, as the J were forced to believe, 
but to fight. Washington at once offered 
to raise and train an independent company, 
adding, " I shall very cheerfully accept the 
honor of commanding it, if occasion require 
it to be drawn out, as it is my full intention 
to devote my life and fortune to the cause 
we are engaged in, if needful." 



COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF. 

But he was called to a larger sphere 
of action, being at the age of forty-three 
unanimously elected by Congress Com- 
mander-in-Chief of the American armies. 
He was first proposed by John Adams, 
of Massachusetts, and nominated on the 
day of election by Andrew Johnson, of 
Maryland. 

As a commander, AVashington was espe- 
cially distinguished for great caution and 
prudence, combined with courage and ener- 
gy. He was sure of his ground, so far as 
he went, and did not willingly venture the 
liv3S or even thj health of his men, without 



14 GEORGE WASHINGTON. 

a reasonable prospect of success. Neitlier 
in the earlier nor in the later periods of his 
career, did he escape trials. The impa- 
tience of the people, and even of Congress 
at delays, the jealousy of would-be rivals, 
all the charges which malice and envy 
could bring against him, were added to the 
already burdensome cares which attended 
his station. Nor could he always soar sub- 
lime above these annoyances. We hear 
him often expressing a longing impatience 
to return to the peace of home and home- 
life, and yet a stern determination to do his 
duty, come what might. 

" Washington felt the awful responsibility 
of his situation, and the complicated and 
stupendous task before him. He spoke of 
it, however, not despondingly, nor boast- 
fully, nor M^ith defiance ; but with that sol- 
emn and sedate resolution, and that hope- 
ful reliance on Supreme Goodness, which 
belonged to his magnanimous nature. The 
cause of his country, he observed, had 
called him to an active and dangerous duty, 
but he trusted that Divine Providence which 
wisely orders the affairs of men, woidd en- 
able him to discharge it with fidelity and 
nuceti^s" 



COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF. 15 

In regard to his own peculiar experience 
in this war, he writes tlius in 1776: — 

" There is no situation upon earth less 
enviable or more distressing than that per- 
son's who is at the head of troops regard- 
less of order and discipline, and unprovided 
with almost every necessary. In a word, 
the difficulties which have ever surrounded 
me since I have been in the service and 
kept my mind constantly upon the stretch ; 
the wounds which my feelings as an offi- 
cer received by a thousand things that 
have happened contrary to my expecta- 
tions and wishes; the effijct of my own 
conduct and present appearance of things, 
so little pleasing to myself as to render 
it a matter of no surprise to me if I 
should stand capitally censured by Con- 
gress; added to a consciousness of my in- 
ability to govern an army composed of such 
discordant parts and under such a variety 
of intricate and perplexing circumstances; 
— induce not only a belief, but a thorough 
conviction in my mind, that it will be im- 
possible, unless there is a thorough change 
in our military system, for me to conduct 
matters in such a manner as to give satis' 
faction to the public, which is all the recora 
pense I aim at, or ever wished for." 



16 GEOKGE WASHINGTON. 

In our days we find it almost impossible 
to appreciate the difficulties with which 
Washington had to contend : in a coun- 
try, poor, and newly settled, with few man- 
ufactures; always dependent on England 
for its supplies ; having to deal with in- 
dependent states, not yet consolidated under 
a general government, and, of course, with 
more or less of jealousy and rivalry be- 
tween them ; with an immense line of 
■coast to defend ; with no army, but scat- 
tered bodies of men, ill-provided, as to their 
personal wants, and often destitute of means 
of transportation. 

There were no steamboats, no railways, 
no telegraphs to convey information ; very 
few good roads, the army often compelled 
to march through trackless forests, to ford 
streams, and to gather subsistence as they 
marched, from a willing or an unwilling 
people. Washington at one time recom- 
mended a very light form of dress for the 
troops, accl)rding to the Indian fashion, in 
order that they might have less luggage to 
encumber them, and that the number of 
pack-horses might be diminished. Here we 
see their want even of wagons and wagon 
loads. 

We, with the power of sending our men 



COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF. 17 

from Boston to Washington in two days, 
or from Pennsylvania to Kentucky or Mis- 
souri in three, with provisions already at 
hand at every point, and unlimited sup- 
plies of money at command, can little im- 
agine the gigantic obstacles which Wash- 
ington had to meet and overcome. Wit- 
ness one extract from a letter dated Nov. 
15, 1758, 11 o'clock at night. 

" I have at once ordered working parties 
on the road, that no time might be lost; but 
I fear I shall not proceed so fast as you 
could wish, since after all my delays, and 
waiting for tools, Captain Fields was able 
to get but forty-two axes. Those and the 
others that are here shall be employed to- 
morrow at daylight, to the best advantage. 
The road intended is but very slightly blaz- 
ed." * 

His officers, too, were entirely untrained. 
He had no West Point graduates to assist 
him (West Point had a very different and 
most unenviable notoriety in that war) ; a 
few had some idea of a military education, 
and some foreign officers came to his help, 
but many of our generals had to trust to 

• t. e. marked through the forest by spots on the 
trees, where the bark is chipped off by a hatchet. 



18 GEORGE WASHINGTON. 

their own native wit and genius, learning 
what they could of the technicalities of the 
military art by practice. Washington had, 
therefore, in many cases, to train his of- 
ficers, and from a letter written by him we 
learn how comprehensive were his ideas nf 
the duties of an officer. It was no holiday 
affair to assume the control and the care of 
a number of men, and to be responsible for 
their well-doing. 

To General Woolford he wrote thus (Dec. 
13, 1779): — 

" I sincerely wish you and the troops un- 
der your command a comfortable march and 
a speedy arrival. 

" My affection for the troops, and my con- 
cern for the credit of the army under my com- 
mand, as well as for their own credit, make 
me anxiously desire that the officers may ex- 
ert themselves to cultivate that perfection of 
discipline on which the usefulness and repu- 
tation of a corps depend. Similar motives, 
joined to a regard to the honor of the State 
to which they belong, will, I am confident, 
be felt with all the force they deserve ; and 
will inspire them to a zealous and punctual 
discharge of their duty in all its parts. 
For hei'e permit me to add, that, though 



COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF. 1^ 

bravery and good conduct in time of action 
are very essential, yet tiiey are by no 
means the most material part of a soldier'^ 
duty. 

" To train and prepare men for the field, 
without vi'hich no exertion in the moment 
of action will avail much ; to supply their 
necessary wants, so far as circumstances 
will permit ; to restrain licentiousness ; to 
support the honor and dignity of the corps ; 
to be attentive to the clothing, seeing that it 
is always in place, in order, and well put 
on, without which a soldier in rags and a 
soldier in uniform differ little in appear- 
ance ; to have the arms and accouterments 
always in order; in a word, to abide strictly 
by military rules, regulations, and orders ; 
these constitute the essence of a soldier,, 
and are characteristic of good officers. 

" Without these, no service can be well. 
conducted, and every service must be dis- 
agreeable, sluggish, and expensive ; partak- 
ing more of the nature of militia, than the 
regularity of well organized troops, which 
may and ought to move like clock-work,. 
wJiere the component parts discharge their 
respective duties with propriety and exact- 
ness. 



20 GEORGE WASHINGTON. 

" I entreat you to communicate what I 
have said to the gentlemen of the line, and 
at the same time to assure them of my 
warmest esteem and best wishes for their 
welfare and success." 

Jan. 9, 1777. "I earnestly recommend 
to you to be circumspect in your choice of 
officers. Take none but gentlemen ; let no 
local attachments influence you ; do not 
suffer your good nature, when an applica- 
tion is made, to say yes, when you ought to 
say no ; remember that it is a public, not a 
private cause, that is to be injured or bene- 
fited by your choice ; recollect also that no 
instance has yet happened of good or bad 
behavior in a corps in our service, that has 
not originated with the officers. Do not 
take old men, nor yet fill your corps with 
boys, especially for captains." 

As early as 1756, he wrote to the Major 
of his regiment : — 

" Youi- own good sense has sufficiently 
prompted you to the study of your duty, 
but at the same time permit me, as a duty 
incumbent on myself, to recommend in the 
strongest terms to you, the necessity of 
qualifying yourself by reading for the dis- 
charge of the duty of Major, a post which 



COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF. 21 

requires a thorough knowledge of the ser- 
vice, and on the due execution of which 
jour own credit, as well as that of the regi- 
ment, greatly depends." 

The battle of Bunker Hill is familiar 
enough to us all. From the records we 
learn some facts not always remembered : 
that the British had by some oversight 
brought balls, too large for their cannon, 
and had to send back for more ; that our 
troops went into action hungry and thirsty ; 
Gen. Stark, in bringing up his men, was 
urged to a quickstep in passing some point 
of danger, but answered, wisely, " One fresh 
man in action is worth ten tired ones," and 
marched steadily on. Warren, volunteer- 
ing, said, " Don't think I seek a place of 
safety ; — where will the attack be hot- 
test ? " and his life was a part of the price 
paid for victory. Prescott and Putnam 
and Stark there distinfjuished themselves. 
When the tidings of the battle first reached 
Washington, he asked, " Above all, how 
acted the militia ? " When told that they 
stood their ground bravely, sustained the 
enemy's fire, reserved their own until close 
quarters, and then delivered it with deadly 



^2 GEOKGE WASHINGTON. 

effect, it seemed as if a weight of doubt and 
solicitude were lifted from his heart. He 
exclaimed, '' The liberties of the country are 
«afe ! " 

.We are not surprised at the anxiety felt 
by Washington for the conduct of these 
troops, untried as they were. They were 
undisciplined, unaccustomed to fight, and 
men whose lives were dear to them for the 
sake of the families and friends they had 
left behind. It was yet to be proved 
whether tJiey had learned that there are ob- 
jects dearer than life itself, and tliat life is 
of little value without liberty. They had, 
too, a spirit of independence, and there may 
have been among them, as there art, in our 
day, too many disposed to mistake liberty 
for license ; to believe that freedom means 
the power of doing as we please. 

Many liave not yet learned that the freest 
men are tliose who are most obedient to law. 
Men never know where their own wild will 
may lead them. Good law is safe and sure. 
Tiie apostle Paul says a man is a slave or 
in bondage, when he is led away of bis own 
lust (or will) and enticed. 

There is another lesson the soldier must 
tieeds learn when he enlists: he gives up all 



COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF. 23 

freedom of action. He may think and feel 
as he pleases, but his body is merely a part 
of his regiment. Entire subordination is 
the only rule of safety. 

But the better this subordination, the 
greater the care falling upon the officers, 
made responsible for the lives and well- 
being of so many men. Washington was 
peculiarly alive to this responsibility, and 
we find him exhorting his officers to great 
watchfulness, and even himself manifesting 
the most earnest personal interest in his 
men, and care for their morals, health, and 
welfare. 

He says, " My first wish would be that 
my military family, and the whole army, 
should consider themselves as a band of 
brothers, willing and ready to die for each 
other." 

Yet he did not expect his men to suffer 
and to die, from purely patriotic motives, 
and even urged upon the people and upon 
Congress, a full and generous provision for 
the welfare of the brave men through whose 
exertions the country was to be saved. 

AH these things are proved by extracts 
from his letters and the General Orders. 

To officers : " Be strict in your discipline. 



24 GEORGE WASHINGTON. 

Require nothing unreasonable of jour offi- 
cers and men ; but see that whatever is 
required be punctually complied with." 

" Men may speculate as they will ; they 
may talk of patriotism ; they may draw a 
few examples from ancient story of great 
achievements performed by its influence, 
but whoever builds upon them as a suffi- 
cient basis for a long and bloody war, will 
lind himself deceived in the end." 

A part of Morgan's corps was rendered 
unfit to march by the want of shoes. There 
was much suffering in the army generally 
on this account. In his General Orders 
Washington thus refers to this want : — 

" The Commander-in-Chief offers a re- 
ward of ten dollars to any person who 
shall, by nine o'clock on Monday morning, 
produce the best substitute for shoes made 
of raw hides." 

" The General does not admit of any pre- 
tense for plundering ; whether it be tory 
property taken beyond the lines, or not, it 
is equally a breach of orders, and to be 
))unished in the officer who gives orders, or 
the soldier." 

Sept. 20, 1776. "The General hopes that 
soldiers fighting in sucli a cause as cure 



COM]\rANDER-IN-CHlEF. 25 

will not be discouraged by any diiRculties 
that may offer, and informs them that the 
grounds he now possesses are to be de- 
fended at all events. Any soldier or officer, 
therefore, who, upon the approach or attack 
of the enemy's forces, by land or water, 
shall presume to turn his back and flee, 
shall be instantly shot down ; and all good 
officers are hereby authorized and required 
to see this done ; that the brave and gallant 
part of the army may not fall a sacrifice to 
the base and cowardly part, nor share their 
disgrace in a cowardly and unmanly re- 
treat." 

" Any commissioned officer who stands 
by and sees irregularities committed, and 
does not endeavor to quell them, shall be 
immediately put under arrest. Any non- 
commissioned officer present, who does not 
mterpose, shall be immediately reduced and 
receive corporal punishment. Any soldier 
who shall presume to quarrel or fight, shall 
receive five hundred lashes, without the 
benefit of a court-martial. The offendei*, 
upon complaint made, shall have strict jus- 
tice done him. Any soldier found drunk 
shall receive one hundred lashes without 
benefit of court-martial." 1756. 



26 GEOKGE WASHINGTON. 

" As the season is now fast approaching, 
when every man must be drawn into the 
field of action, it is highly important that he 
should prepare his mind, as well as every- 
thinsr necessary for it. It is a noble cause 
we are encased in ; it is the cause of virtue 
and mankind ; every temporal advantage 
and comfort to us and our posterity de- 
pends upon the vigor of our exertions ; in 
short, freedom or slavery must be the result 
of our conduct : there can, therefore, be no 
greater inducement to men to behave well. 
But it may not be amiss for the troops to 
know, that if any man in action shall pre- 
sume to skulk, hide himself, or reti-eat from 
the enemy, without the orders of his com- 
manding officer, he will be instantly shot 
down as an example of cowardice ; cowards 
having too frequently disconcerted the best 
formed troops, by their dastardly behavior." 

Perhaps it was experience like the fol- 
lowing that called for the last order. In a 
skirmish at Turtle Bay, near New York, 
a panic occurred. 

" At this moment, Washington, who had 
mounted his horse at the first sound of the 
cannonade, came galloping to the scene of 
confusion ; riding in among the fugitives, 



COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF. 27 

he endeavored to rally and restore them to 
order. All in vain. At the first appearance 
of sixty or seventy redcoats, they broke 
again without firing a shot, and fled in 
headlong terror. 

" Losing all self-command at the sight of 
such dastardly conduct, he dashed his hat 
upon the ground in a transport of rage. 
* Are these the men,' exclaimed he, ' with 
whom I am to defend America ? ' In a par- 
oxysm of passion and depair, he snapped 
his pistols at some of them, threatened 
others with his sword, and was so heedless 
of his own danger, tliat he might have fallen 
into the hands of the enemy, had not an 
aid-de-camp seized the bridle of his horse, 
and absolutely hurried him away." 

It was such a scene which disgusted De- 
boure, a French officer, so that he returned 
to his own country. He was wounded in his 
vain attempts to rally his brigade ; and 
when blamed for his want of success, said 
bitterly, " It was not his fault if American 
troops would run away." 

1775. " The officers are to be careful not 
to enlist any person suspected of being un- 
friendly to the liberties of America, nor any 
abandoned vagabond to whom all causes 



28 GEORGE WASHINGTON. 

and countries are equal and alike indiffer- 
ent. The rights of mankind and the free- 
dom of America will have numbers suffi- 
cient to support them, without resorting to 
such wretched assistance." 

June ''11^ 1776. "The riotous behavior 
of some soldiers of the continental army, 
yesterday and the evening before, has filled 
the General with much regret and con- 
cern ; and lays him under the disagreeable 
necessity of declaring, that if the like be- 
havior should be practiced again, the au- 
thors will be brought to the severest punish- 
ment, if taken, or treated as a common ene- 
my, if they dare to resist. Men are not to 
carve out remedies for themselves. If they 
are injured in any respect, there are legal 
modes to obtain relief, and just complaints 
will always be attended to and redressed. 
It should be the pride of a soldier to con- 
duct himself in such a manner as to obtain 
the applause and not the reproach of a peo- 
ple he is sent to defend ; and it should be 
the business, as it is the duty of an officer, 
to inculcate and enforce this doctrine." 

It has been triumphantly asserted, as if it 
were a joy to find a flaw in the charactei 



COMMANDEK-m-CHIEF. 29 

of a good man, that on one occasion Wash- 
ington was so excited that he used profane 
language. Washington swore, they say. 

The battle of Monmouth was fought June 
28th, 1778. The best disposition possible 
was made of the troops ; orders were given, 
which those under his command had only 
to obey. Washington's ideas of military 
discipline and subordination were strict, yet 
none too strict, since any attempt at in- 
dependent action only leads to endless 
confusion. He writes, on one occasion, — 
" 1 can not but say there has been more 
delay in the march of the troops than I 
think necessary ; and I could wisli that in 
future my orders may be immediately com- 
plied with, without arguing the propriety 
of them. If any accident ensues from 
obeying them, the fault will be upon me, 
not upon you." 

We give the account of his anxieties at 
Monmouth, in his own words. " General 
Lee having command of the van of the 
army, consisting of full five thousand chosen 
men, was ordered to begin the attack next 
morning, so soon as the enemy began to 
march, to be supported by me; but strange 
to tell ! when he came up with the enemy. 



30 GEDRGE WASHINGTON. 

a retreat commenced ; whether by his order 
or from other causes is now a subject of in- 
quiry, and consequently improper to be des- 
canted on, as he. is in arrest and a court- 
martial is sitting for his trial. A retreat, 
however, was the fact, be the causes what 
they may ; and the disorder arising from it 
would have proved fatal to the army, had 
not that bountiful Providence, which has 
never failed us in the hour of distress, en- 
abled me to form a regiment or two (of 
those that were retreating), in the face of 
the enemy, and under their tire ; by which 
means, a stand was made long enough (the 
place through which tlie enemy were pass- 
ing being narrow) to form the troops that 
were advancing, upon an advantageous piece 
of ground in the rear. Here our affairs 
took a favorable turn." 

Washington succeeded in again forming 
the troops, and having made all his ar- 
rangements with clearness and precision, 
left Gen. Lee in command of a certain 
position, with orders to take means to 
check the enemy. 

'• Your orders," said Lee, " shall be obey- 
ed, and I shall not be the first to leave the 
ground." 



COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF. 31 

Lee maintained his advanced position 
with great spirit, but was at length obliged 
to retire, but as he had promised, was the 
last to leave the ground. Having formed 
his men in a line, he rode up to Washing- 
ton. " Here, Sir, are ray troops, how is it 
your pleasure I should dispose of them?" 
Washington saw that the poor fellows were 
exhausted by marching, countermarching, 
hard fightinof, and the intolerable heat of 
the weather : he ordered Lee, therefore, to 
repair with them to the rear of English- 
town, and assemble there all the scattered 
fugitives he might meet with. 

The historian adds : " The day was at an 
end. Many of the soldiers had sunk upon 
the ground overcome by fatigue and the 
heat of the weather ; all needed repose. 
The troops, therefore, which had been in 
the advance were ordered to lie on their 
arms on the ground they occupied, so as 
to be ready to make attack by daybreak. 
The main army did the same, on the field 
of action, to be at hand to support them. 
Washington lay on his cloak at the foot of 
a tree, with Lafayette beside him, talking 
over the strange conduct of Lee, whose dis- 
orderly retreat had come so near being 
fatal to tlie army. 



32 GEORGE WASHINGTON. 

" What opinions Washington gave on the 
subject, in the course of his conversation 
with the Marquis, the latter does not tell 
us ; after it was ended, he wrapped himself 
in his cloak and slept at the foot of the 
tree among his soldiers. 

" At daybreak, the drums beat the reveille. 
The troops roused themselves from their 
heavy sleep and prepared for action. To 
their surprise, the enemy had disappeared." 

Of course, at this late day, there are no 
means of proving or disproving this charge 
against Washington, of using profane lan- 
guage under such fearful provocation. We 
can only quote in reply his own sentiments 
in relation to this vice, as expressed at an 
earlier date : — 

'' Colonel Washington has observed that 
the men of his regiment are very profane 
and reprobate. He takes this opportunity 
to inform them of his great displeasure at 
such practices, and assures them that if they 
do not leave them off they shall be severely 
punished. The officers are desired, if they 
hear anj^ man swear, or make use of an 
oath or execration, to order the offender 
twenty-five lashes immediately, without a 
court-martial. For the second oflTense he 
shall be more severely punished." 



COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF. 33 

April 18, 1786. Washington writes: "I 
can call my conscience, and what I suppose 
will be a still more demonstrative proof in 
the eyes of the world, my orders, to witness 
how much I have, both by threats and per- 
suasive means, endeavored to discounte- 
nance gaming, drinking, swearing, and ir- 
regularities of every kind ; while I have on 
the other hand practiced every artifice to 
inspire a laudable emulation in the officers 
for the service of their country, and to en- 
courage the soldiers in the unerring exer- 
cise of their duty." 

General Orders, 1776: "The General 
most earnestly requires and expects a due 
observance of the articles of war, established 
for the government of the army, which for- 
bid profane cursing, swearing, and drunken- 
ness." 

August's, 1776. "That the troops may 
have an opportunity of attending public 
worship, as well as to take some rest after 
the great fatigue they have gone through, 
the General in future excuses them from 
fatigue duty on Sundays, except at the ship- 
yards or on special occasions, until further 
orders. 

"The General is sorry to be informed, 



34 GEORGE WASHINGTON. 

that the foolish and wicked practice of profane 
swearing, a vice heretofore little known in 
the American army, is growing into fashion ; 
he hopes the officers will, by example as well 
as intluence, endeavor to check it; and that 
both they and the men will reflect, that we 
can have little hope of the blessing of Heav- 
en on our arms, if we insult it by impiety 
and folly ; added to this, it is a vice so mean 
and low, without any temptation, that i^very 
man of sense and character detests and de- 
spises it." 

A man of so consistent a character as 
Washington could hardly be found violating 
his own rules, so plainly expressed. 

Kindred to these are the General Orders 
on gambling. 

F'eb. 26, 1776. " All officers, non-com- 
missioned officers, and privates are positive- 
ly forbidden playing at cards or other games 
of chance. At this time of public distress, 
men may find enough to do, in the service 
of their God and their country, without 
abandoning themselves to vice and immo- 
rality." 

1777. " Gaming of every kind is ex 
pressly forbidden, as being the foundation 



COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF. 35 

of eyil and the cause of many a brave and 
gallatit officer's r-uhi." 

1786. "Avoid ojaminn:. This is a vice 
which irf productive of every possible evil ; 
equally injurious to the morals and health 
of its votaries." 

" It is the child of Avarice, the brother of 
Iniquity, and the father of Mischief." 

'' It lias been the ruin of many worthy 
families, the loss of many a man's honor, 
and the cause of suicide." 

" Few gain by this abominable practice, 
while thousands are injured." 

The darkest hour, and time of sharpest 
trial to AVashington, seems to have been the 
winter of 1777, when the troops were en- 
camped at Valley Forge. This place, which 
is in Chester Co., Pa., on the west side of 
the Schuylivill, and about twenty miles from 
Phihidelphia, was chosen as a point of vigi- 
lant watch over that city, then in possession 
of the enemy, and for protection to a large 
extent of surrounding country. Thither the 
men marched, the army dwindled to five 
thousand effective men, without sufficient 
clothing, shoes, provisions, or shelter. 8o 
destitute of shoes were many of them, that 



36 GEORGE WASHINGTON. 

their footsteps might be tracked with blood, 
and this on tlie seventeentli of December. 
After their arrival, the men had still to cut 
down trees, and build huts for their own 
protection. 

We can not detail the sufferings of that 
terrible winter, sufferings shared by officers 
and men. One officer writes : " Three days 
successively we have been destitute of bread. 
Two days we have been entirely without 
meat." 

Washington suffered with them. On one 
occasion, when the parties sent out to for- 
age had returned empty-handed, he writes : 
" For some days past there has been little 
less than a famine in the camp. A part of 
the army has been a week without any kind 
of flesh, and the rest three or lour days. 
Naked and starving as they are, we can not 
enough admire the incomparable patience 
and fidelity of the soldiery, that they have 
not been, ere this, excited by their suffering 
to general mutiny and desertion." 

To add to the personal trials of Washing- 
ton, some of his officers were jealous of his 
power, and plotted for his overthrow. A 
single sentence of a letter, which came to his 
knowledge, will show what he had to bear. 



COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF. 37 

One of his generals says : " Heaven has de- 
termined to save your country, or a weak 
General and bad counsellors would have 
ruined it." 

But he walked serene in conscious rec- 
titude, and wrote on one occasion, " We 
should never despair. Our situation before 
has been as unpromising, and has changed 
for tlie better. So I trust it will again. 
If new difficulties arise, we must only put 
fortli new exertions, and proportion our ef- 
forts to the exigency of the times." 

Again he says, with reference to his dif- 
ficulties : " But it is to be hoped that all 
will yet end well. If the cause is advanced, 
indifferent is it to 7ne, where or in what 
quarter it hapjjens." 

But in the midst of these dark days and 
all the trials to which he was subjected, 
Washington had the confidence and the 
love of his troops. One of his friends 
writes : — 

" He was not an unmoved spectator of 
the griefs around him, but miglit be seen 
cheering tlie faith and inspiring the courage 
of his suffering men. It was this paternal 
care and sympathy which attaciied his 
troops personally to him. They saw that 



38 GEORGE WASHINGTON. 

he regarded them, not with tlie eye of a 
general, but of a patriot, whose heart 
yearned toward them, as a countryman 
suffering in one common cause." 

And all the efforts to overthrow him 
only showed where his real strength lay. 
"■ Jealous rivals he might have in the army, 
bitter enemies in Congress, but the soldiers 
loved him, and the large heart of the nation 
always beat true to him." 

They learned, too, to have faith in his wis- 
dom, and to trust him, when they knew noth- 
ing of his plans. One, a shrewd observer, 
writes: " General Washington matures his 
great plans and designs under an impen- 
etrable vail of secrecy ; and while we re- 
pose the fullest confidence in our chief, our 
opinions as to his intentioiis must be found- 
ed only on doubtful conjecture." 

At a later period some discontents had 
arisen in the army, which Washington in 
person attempted to appease. He began 
reading a letter in the assemblage, and af- 
ter reading the first paragraph made a short 
pause, took out his spectacles and begged 
the indulgence of his audience while he put 
them on, observing at the same time that 
he had grown gray in their service and now 



COMMANDEK-IN-CHIEF. S9 

found himself growing blind. It was an 
appeal that was irresistible, and every heart 
was touched. 

The winter of 1780, spent by the array 
at Morristown, was hardly less severe than 
the memorable season at Valley Forge, three 
years l)efore. The country was more ex- 
hausted, and at times supplies could only be 
procured by requiring them of the inhabi- 
tants, and threats of seizing them where 
they were not readily furnished, a pi'oceed- 
ing to which Washington was especially 
averse. Congress had no power to raise 
sufficient money by taxation, the currency 
was deranged, and the paper-money issued by 
Congress so woi-thless tliat forty paper dol- 
lars were only equal to one dollar in specie. 
The winter was long and severe, almost be- 
yond precedent. 

In these circumstances "Washington writes: 
— ''For a fortnight past, the troops, both 
officers and men,'have been ahnost jierishing 
with want. Yet, they have borne tlieir suf- 
ferings with a patience that merits the ap- 
probation and ought to excite the sympathies 
of their countrymen." 

To the honor of the people it is recordeci 



40 GEORGE WASHINGTON. 

that they gave readily even more than was 
required of them. " Provisions came in 
with hearty good-will from the farmers in 
Mendham, Chatham, Hanover, and other 
rural places, together with stockings, shoes, 
coats, and blankets ; while the women met 
together to knit and sew for the soldiery." 

The treason of Arnold is one of the most 
famihar and marked events in the history 
of our Revolutionary War. Extravagance 
and debt led him to practices disgraceful to 
him as a man and an otiicer ; and when he 
was tried and reprimanded, the charges be- 
ing proved, he determined to revenge him- 
self by betraying his country. For fifteen 
months he brooded over his wrongs, and 
nursed his evil purpose, maintaining a cor- 
respondence with the enemy. He obtained 
command of West Point, and planned to de- 
liver that and other posts in the vicinity into 
the hands of the British, thus givijig them 
the control of the North River. 

The capture of Major Andre, who had 
been sent to confer with Arnold on the final 
steps of the treason, led to its discovery, and 
it was only by great good fortune that Ar- 
nold had notice in time to escape. Andie, 



COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF. 41 

found in disguise within our lines, with 
concealed and treasonable dispatches, was 
treated as a spy. He was tried bj a board 
of officers, condemned, sentenced, and exe- 
cuted, though the most persevering efforts 
were made to save him. Washington was 
compelled to perform the hard duty of re- 
sisting all these influences, knowing that 
justice and the good of the cause required 
him to be stern and inflexible. 

We have an example of Washington's 
firmness and coolness in his conduct at the 
siege of Yorktown. At the assaults on the 
redoubts he was an intensely excited spec- 
tator, knowing how much depended on the 
result. "He had dismounted, given his 
horse to a servant, and taken his stand in 
the grand battery with Generals Knox and 
Lincoln, and their staffs. The risk he ran 
of a chance shot, while watching the attack 
through an embrasure, made those about 
him uneasy. One of his aides-de-camp ven- 
tured to observe that the situation was ver^ 
iliuch exposed. ' If you think so,' replied he, 
gravely, ' you are at liberty to step back.' 

" Shortly after, a musket-ball struck the 
cannon in the embrasure, rolled along it» 



42 GEORGE WASm^^GTON. 

and fell at his feet. General Knox grasp- 
ed his arm. ' My dear General,' ex- 
claimed he, 'we can't spare you yet' 'It 
is a spent ball,' replied Washington, quietly ; 
* no harm is done.' 

" When all was over, and the redoubts line 
taken, he drew a long breath, and turning 
to Knox, observed, ' The work is done and 
well done ! ' Then called to his servant, 
William, 'bring me my horse.' 

" in his dispatches, he declared that in 
these assaults nothing could exceed the 
firmness and bravery of the troops." 

We hear comparatively little of intem- 
perance in the American army at that period. 
The quantity of spirits manufactured in the 
country was not large, while the foreign sup- 
ply was, in a degree, cut off. Yet from a 
mistaken notion of its necessity, the spirit- 
ration was served to the men, with the usual 
evil consequences. 

Washington was alive to these evils, and 
writes, in 1788 : "The quantity of spiritu- 
ous liquors which is a component part of the 
ration is so large as to engender, where they 
might not before exist, habits of intemper- 
ance, alike fatal to health and discipline. 



COMMANDKR-IX-CHIEF. 45 

" Experience has repeatedly shown, that 
many soldiers will exchange their rum for 
other articles ; which is productive of double 
mischief, of subjecting; those with whom the 
exchange is made to the loss of what is far 
more necessary, and to all the consequences 
of brutal intoxication. The step having 
been once taken, a change is delicate, but it 
is believed to be indispensable, and that the 
temporary evils of a change can bear na 
proportion to the permanent and immense 
evils of a continuance in the error." 

" My chief reason for supposing the West 
India trade detrimental to us was, that rum,, 
the principal article received from thence^ 
is the bane of morals and the parent of idle- 
ness." 

In his own habits, Washington was emi- 
nently temperate, we might say abstinent^ 
never himself indulging in excess, (and, in- 
deed, it would have been no indulgence ta 
him,) nor encouraging, or even allowing it 
in his officers. The customs of society then 
required wine upon the table ; and as Gen- 
eral and President he conformed to these 
customs. His own habits were simple and 
temperate. 

In 1775, when stationed near Boston, his 



44 GEORGE WASHINGTON 

position as Commander-in-Chief required 
that his table should be kept in ample and 
hospitable style. " Though social, he was 
not convivial in his habits. He received 
his guests with courtesy ; but his mind and 
time were too much occupied with grave 
and anxious concerns to permit him the 
genial indulo;ence of the table. His own 
diet was extremely simple ; sometimes noth- 
ing but baked apples or berries, with cream 
and milk. He would i-etire early from the 
board, leaving an aid-de-camp or one of his 
officers to take his place." 

In 1789, after his inau2;uration as Presi- 
dent, we have this account of one of Wash- 
ington's semi-official dinners from one who 
was present : — 

" The guests consisted of the Vice-Presi- 
dent, the foreign ministers, the heads of de- 
partments, the Speaker of the House of Rep- 
resentatives, and the senators from New 
Hampshire and Georgia, the then most 
Northern and Southern States. It was the 
least showy dinner that I ever saw at the 
President's table, and the company was not 
large. As there was no chaplain present, 
the President himself said a xevy short 
grace as he was sitting down. After din- 



AS A CHRISTIAN. 45 

ner and dessert were finished, one glass of 
wine was passed around the table, and no 
loast. The President rose, and all the 
company retired to the drawing-room, from 
which the guests departed, as every one 
chose, without ceremony." 

WASHINGTON AS A CHRISTIAN. 

"By their fruits ye shall know them." 
The more closely we study the various 
records of the life and character of Wash- 
ington, the more we are convinced that he 
was governed by principles o^, right. We 
see the same thing in the rules of action 
written for himself in the boyish hand of 
thirteen, and in the acts and writings of all 
his later life, till his final committal of him- 
self and his country into the hands of a mer- 
ciful and faithful God. 

Early in life, he was a communicant in 
the Episcopal church, and at different 
times was a vestry-man in two parishes, 
taking an active interest in church affairs. 
We learn that when at home he always at- 
tended church regularly, and when possible, 
twice a day ; and when in camp he was 
careful to have public worship regularly 



46 GEORGE WASHINGTON 

performed, unless circumstances absolutely 
forbade it. " Even in the midst of the ac- 
tive scenes at the Great Meadows, this was 
the daily practice." 

" The first day of June was ' set apart as 
a day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer, 
devoutly to implore the Divine interposition 
for averting the heavy calamity which threat- 
ened destruction to their civil rights and the 
<ivils of civil war.' 

" On the day appointed, Washington writes 
in his diary : ' Went to church and fasted 
all day,' thus conforming not only to the 
spirit but to 'the letter of the order. This 
diary was kept for many years with much 
particularity. A Sabbath-day rarely occurs 
in which it is not recorded that he went to 
church. If there was an omission, it was 
caused by the weather or badness of ihv 
roads ; the nearest church being seven 
miles from his residence. While attending 
the First Congress, he adhered to the same 
practice." 

When he was President we are told " the 

sanctity and quiet of Sunday were strictly 

observed by Washington. He attended 

church in the morning, and passed the af- 

» ternoon alone in his closet. No visitors 



AS A CHRISTIAN. 47 

were admitted, except, perhaps, an intimate 
friend in the evening, whicli was spent by 
him in the bosom of his family." 

For a time, when in active command of 
the army, he absented himself from the 
communion. Tlie reasons have never been 
given, perhaps never known. It is sug- 
gested that finding his time much occupied, 
and in the confusion and distraction of war 
being able to make but little distinction be- 
tween the Sabbath and other days, he may 
have considered himself to be deprived of 
that preparation which he regarded as ne- 
cessary, before appearing at the .table of the 
Lord. 

We do not learn that he was any the less 
exemplary in his life, nor any less attentive 
to the other outward signs of regard for re- 
ligion. It is recorded that at the time his 
forces were encamped at Morristown, N. J., 
there occurred in the Presbyterian church 
at that place the semi-annual administration 
of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper; and 
having previously made known his wish to 
the pastor of the church, Washington wa«» 
present, and partook of the sacrament on 
that occasion. During all his public course, 
he was careful to avoid all sectarian bias 



48 GEORGE WASHINGTON 

and influence, and to give his approbation to 
that which was good, and according to the 
laws of Christ, leaving each man free, in less 
important matters, to act as his own con- 
science or education and taste might dictate. 
The following letter shows how he was re- 
garded by one of his own ftimily. 

A lady who lived twenty years in his 
family, his adopted daughter and the grand- 
daughter of Mrs. Washington, writes of 
him : — 

" It was his custom to retire to his library 
at nine or ten o'clock, where he remained an 
hour before he went to his chamber. He 
always rose before the sun, and remained 
in his library until called to breakfast. I 
never . witnessed his private devotions, I 
never inquired about them. I should have 
thought it the greatest heresy to doubt his 
firm belief in Christianity. His life, his 
writings, prove that he was a Christian. 
He was not one of those who act or pray 
* that they ma}'' be seen of men.' He com- 
muned with his God in secret." 

" Washington had prayers morning and 
evening, and was regular in attendance at 
the church in which he was a communi- 
cant." 



AS A CHRISTIAN. 49 

" He always said grace at table. On one 
occasion, from the force of habit, he per- 
formed this duty when a clergyman was 
present, an instance of inadvertence quite 
unusual with him. Being told of the inci- 
vility, after the minister's departure, he ex- 
pressed his regret at the oversight, but add- 
ed, ' The reverend gentleman will at least 
be assured that we are not entirely grace- 
less at Mount Vernon.* " 

We have, also, other testimony, showing, 
even when in camp, his habit of retiring 
regularly and constantly to the most seclud- 
ed place he could find, it was to be pre- 
sumed for pra3'er ; and also that his Bible 
was his frequent companion. 

Indeed, with sucli a weight of care upon 
his shoulders, the responsibilities of a whole 
nation resting upon him, how could he find 
help but in prayer? It is said, the wiser 
men grow, the more they see before them 
10 be learned ; and it may be also that the 
vviser they are in heavenly things, the more 
they feel the need of divine teachings. 
Hence, the best men pray most ; the wisest 
men seek most earnestly the wisdom which 
cometh from above. 

There is, perhaps, no place where retire- 
4 



50 GEORGE WASHINGTON 

ment is more difficult than amid the distrac- 
tions of a camp ; yet even there it may be 
possible, if the need be deeply felt. With the 
high example, not of Washington, but of 
one higher than he, who shall dare for a 
day feel that he can live without prayer? 
We read of the Son of God, the Saviour of 
men, " And in the morning, rising up a 
great while before day, he went out and 
departed into a solitary place, and there 
prayed." 

But even if absolute retirement and the 
posture of prayer be not possible, David 
says, " I remember thee upon my bed, and 
meditate on thee in the night watches." 

The religious character of Washington, 
and the influence of the rules of the Bible, 
the great rules of right, are best shown by 
his own words. 

Very early he writes : " Labor to keep 
alive in your breast that little spark of ce« 
lestial fire called conscience." And later : 
" While I feel the most lively gratitude for 
the many instances of approbation fiom my 
country, I can no otherwise deserve it than 
by obeying the dictates of my conscience.'" 

Not the least proof of the ruling spirit of 
his mind is shown in his habit of constantly 



AS A CHRISTIAN. 51 

referring all successes, all trials, all events, 
to the care and the power of an overruling 
Providence. We have the same in his let- 
ters and in hi?; General Orders. 

Aug. 20, 1778. "The hand of Provi- 
dence has been so conspicuous in all this 
[success"!, that he must be worse than an in- 
fidel that lacks faith, and more than wicked 
who has not gratitude enough to acknowl- 
edge his obligations." 

" We have abundant reason to thank 
Providence for its many favorable inter- 
positions in our behalf. It has, at times, 
been my only dependence, for all other re- 
sources seemed to have failed us." 

Extract from a circular letter addressed 
to the governors of the different States on the 
disbanding of the army, June 8th, 1783 : — 

" The free cultivation of letters, the un 
bounded extension of commerce, the pro 
gressive refinement of manners, the grow 
ing liberality of sentiment, and above all 
the pure and benign light of Revelationy 
have had a meliorating influence on man- 
kind and increased the blessings of society." 
" I now make my earnest prayer that God 
would have you, and the vState over which 
you preside, in His holy protection, that he 



52 GEORGE WASHINGTON 

would incline the hearts of the citizens to 
cultivate the spirit of subordination and 
obedience to government, to entertain a 
brotherly affection and love for one another, 
for their fellow-citizens of the United States 
at large, and particularly for their brethren 
who have served in the field. And, finally, 
that he would be graciously pleased to dis- 
pose us all to do justice, to love mercy, aiid 
to demean ourselves with that charity, hu- 
mility, and pacific temper of mind which are 
the characteristics of the Divine Author of 
our blessed religion, and without an humble 
imitation of whose example in these things 
we can never hope to be a happy nation." 

May \b, 1776. "The Continental Con- 
gress having ordered Friday, the 17th inst., 
to be observed as a day of fasting, humilia- 
tion, and i)rayer, humbly to supplicate the 
mercy of Almighty God, that it would please 
Him to pai'don all our manifold sins and 
transgressions, and to prosper the arms of 
the United Colonies, and finally establish the 
peace and freedom of America upon a solid 
and lasting foundation, the Genei'al com- 
mands all oliicers and soldiers to pay strict 
obedience to the orders of tlie Continental 
Congress ; that, by their unfeigned and pious 



AS A CHRISTIAN. 53 

observance of their religious duties, they 
may incline the Lord and giver of victory 
to prosper our arms." 

July 9, 1776. " The honorable Conti- 
nental Congress having been pleased to al- 
low a chaplain to each regiment, with the 
pay of thirty-three dollars and one third })er 
month, the colonels or commanding officers 
of each regiment are directed to procure 
chaplains accordingly, persons of good char- 
acters and exemplary lives, and to see that 
all inferior officers and soldiers pay them a 
suitable respect. The blessing and protec- 
tion of Heaven are at all times necessary, 
but especially so in times of public distress 
and danger. The General hopes and trusts^ 
that every officer and man will endeavor so 
to live and act as becomes a Christian sol- 
dier, defending the dearest rights and liber- 
ties of his country." 

Oct. 7, 1777. "The situation of the ar- 
my frequently not admitting of the regular 
performance of divine service on Sundays, 
the chaplains of the army are forthwith to 
meet together and agree on some method of 
performing it at other times, which method 
they will make knowm to the Commander- 
in-Chief." 



54 GEORGE WASHINGTON 

Dec. 18, 1777. "To-morrow being the 
day set apart by the honorable Congress 
for public thanksgiving and praise, and duty 
calling us devoutly to express our grateful 
acknowledgments to God for the manifold 
blessings he has granted us, the General 
directs that the army remain in its present 
quarters, and that the chaplains perfornn 
divine service with their several corps and 
brigades ; and earnestly exhorts all officers 
and soldiers, whose absence is not indis- 
pensably necessary, to attend with rever- 
ence the solemnities of the day." 

Oct. 20, 1781. "Divine service is to be 
performed to-morrow in the several brig- 
ades and divisions. The Commander-in- 
Chief earnestly recommends, that the troops 
not on duty should universally attend, with 
that seriousness of deportment and grati- 
tude of heart, which the recognition of such 
reiterated and astonishing interpositions of 
Providence demands of us." 

At the cessation of hostilities, April 18, 
1783. "The proclamation which will be 
communicated herewith will be read to- 
morrow evening at the head of every regi- 
ment and corps in the army, after which, 
the chaplains with the several brigades 



AS A CHRISTIAN. 55 

will render thanks to Almighty God for all 
his mercies, particularly for his overruling 
the wrath of man to his own fflorv, and 
causing the rage of war to cease among 
the. nations." 

1789. "While all men within our territo- 
ries are protected in Avorshiping the Deity 
according to the dictates of their consciences, 
it is rationally to be expected from them in 
return, that they will be emulous of evinc- 
ing the sanctity of their professions by the 
innocence of their lives and tlie beneficence 
of their actions ; for no man v)ho is 'profli- 
gate in his morals, or a had member of the 
civil community, can possibly be a true 
Christian, or a credit to his own religious 
society" 

1795. " Next to the approbation of my 
own mind, arising from a consciousness of 
having uniformly, diligently, and sincerely 
aimed, by doing my duty, to promote the 
true interests of my country, the approba- 
tion of my fellow-citizens is dear to my 
heart. In a free country, such approbation 
shoidd he a citizen's best reward ; and so 
It ivould he, if truth and candor were al- 
ways to estimate the conduct of public men. 
But the reverse is so often the case, that he 



56 GEORGE WASHINGTON 

who wishes to serve his country^ if not in- 
fluenced by higher motives, runs the risk of 
being miserably disappointed. Under such 
discouragements, the good citizen will look 
beyond the applauses and reproaches of 
men, and persevering in his duty, stand 
firm in conscious rectitude and in the hope 
of approving HeavenP 

In 1783 Washino^ton resided his commis- 
sion as Commander-in-Chief of the armies 
of the United States, and gladly retired to 
private life. On the 4th of December, he 
took a formal and affecting leave of the of- 
ficers who had been associated with him^ 
taking the hand of each as they parted, 
while tears were in every eye. On the 
23d he took leave of Congress, and returned 
to his home, having spent eight years and a 
half in the service, with no opportunity to 
visit his own house, except for a short time 
accidentally, when he chanced to be in the 
neighborhood. Here he enjoyed the quiet 
of a peaceful retirement, until called again 
to serve his native State, as delegate to the 
Convention which was to adopt a Constitu- 
tion for these United States. On his ar- 
rival he was chosen President of the Con- 



AS A CHRISTIAN. 57 

vention, and gave his time and attentioL 
most earnestly to the great work of framing 
and perfecting this Constitution. 

This done, the choice of the people fell 
upon him as thieir first President, and he 
yielded with unfeigned reluctance to their 
wishes and his own convictions of duty 
That Washington was not ambitious is prov- 
ed by the indignant manner in which he 
rejected overtures privately made to him, 
before his retirement from the army and 
while his power was yet supreme, that the 
foi'm of the government should be changed, 
and that he should consent to be king. He 
desired not power, but the good of his coun- 
try: the people trusted him, and were not 
disappointed. 

As President, he served with dignity and 
glory through the first and second terms of 
office, and then once more retired to his be- 
loved home. 

During this time, the country was by no 
means quiet : sectional divisions remained, 
dissensions could not be reconciled ; but 
Washington steered clear of all these rocks 
of dispute, and commanded the respect and 
confidence of all. 

About six months. before his final retire- 



58 GEORGE WASHINGTON 

ment from office, Wa^jhington prepared his 
Farewell Address to the people of the Unit- 
ed States, embodying the results of his ex- 
perience, and written with his own consum- 
mate wisdom. As we now read it, some 
parts are almost prophetic, as if he foresaw 
the troubles which have come upon us, and 
would gladly, by forewarning us, have avert- 
ed them. 

He retired to Mount Vernon, but was not 
long allowed to remain at peace, for there 
then occurred difficulties with France which 
had nearly resulted in war. 

Washington received and accepted the 
appointment of Commander-in-Chief of the 
armies ; but happily his services were not 
needed ; the difficulties were settled with- 
out war, and he was allowed to remain at 
home. 

Here he engaged himself with the cares 
of his plantation, returning to the exact rules 
of his earlier life. In the winter of 1799, 
(Dec. 12th,) he took cold from riding about 
over his farms in the snow and rain. Feel- 
ing no appreliension, he took no special pre- 
cautions, and used only simple remedies ; 
but the cold and sore-throat increased, and 
terminated his life in two days. He died. 



AS A CHRISTIAN. 59 

quietly and peacefully, December 14th, at 
the age of sixty-seven. 

He was able to speak but little, but dy- 
ing words were not needed to show his prep- 
aration for a better world. In a previous 
illness he had said, " I am not afraid to 
die, and can hear the worst. "Whether to- 
night or twenty years hence makes no dif- 
ference. I know that I am in the hands of 
a good Providence." His whole life was a 
preparation for death. 

So died the Father of his Country. Of 
liis views regarding the character and per- 
petuity of our whole Union, we cannot do 
better than to close with his own words : 

"The disinclination of the individual States 
to yield powers to Congress, for the Feder- 
al Government, their unreasonable jealousy 
of that body and of one another, and the 
disposition which seems to pervade each, of 
being all-wise and all-powerful within itself, 
will, if there be not a change in the system, 
be our downfall as a nation." 

"There are four things, which I humbly 
sonceive are essential to the well-being, I 
may even venture to say to the existence 



60 GEORGE WASHINGTON 

of the United States, as an independent 
power. 

" First, An indissoluble Union of the 
States under One Federal Head. 

" Second, A sacred regard to Public Jus* 
tice. 

" Third, The adoption of a Proper Peace 
Establishment. 

" Fourth, The prevalence of that pacific 
and friendly disposition among the people of 
the United States, whicii will induce them to 
forget their local prejudices and politics; to 
make those mutual concessions which are 
requisite to the general prosperity ; and in 
some instances to sacrifice their individual 
advantages to the interest of the commu- 
nity. 

" These are the pillars on which the glo- 
rious fabric of our independence and nation- 
al character must be supported. Liberty is 
the basis. 

" And whoever would dare to sap the foun- 
dation, or overturn the structure, under 
whatever specious pretext he may attempt 
it, wilfmerit the bitterest execration, and the 
severest punishment which can he injlicted h) 

HTS INJURED COUNTRY." 



flLITAEY 



OF TUB 

OST IpHARY IsSOCIATION. 



THE WAR WHICH KNOWS NO EXEMPTS, AND GIVES 

NO QUARTER. By William R. Williams, 24 pages. 

GEORGE WASHINGTON j The Soldier. 60 pages. 

AN EVENING WITH THE CHAPLAIN. 46 pages. 

THE ROLL CALL ) Or How Will Ton Answer It 7 16 pages. 

THE CAPTAIN AND HIS ORDERLY. 58 pages. 

WILL YOU ENLIST? Or, Soldier oat of Uniform. 16 pages. 

MEMORia.LS OF LIEUT. G. W. PYLE, U. S. A. 16 pages. 

THE SOLDIER'S POCKET BIBLE. 28 pages. 

THE PASSWORD. 44 pages. 

ON PICKET. 12 pages. 

NARRATIVE OF AN ENGLISH SOLDIER. 16 pages. 

MILITARY SONGS. 72 pages. 

SACRED SONGS. 72 pages. 

THE BRAVE AND HAPPY SOLDIER. 16 pages. 

SOLDIER'S MANUAL OF HEALTH. 16 pages. 

THE MUSTER-ROLL. 20 pages. 

NAPOLEON'S ARGUMENT, 20 pages. 

MORAL GEMS. 20 pages. 

SOLDIER'S KNAPSACK. 44 pages. 

All commnnications addressed to 

JOHN B. KETCHUM, Cor. Sec'y, Ac, 

JH ^4. New York. 



I 



\/ /Mix \.^^ '^^''- "- 





x^^x. 








J-* aV '>^. 

- " « ♦ ^^ fv^ . t 















•^ • * A^ -^ A.' 






H<^^ 




1*. 


















